# Would you guess my Humidor is seasoned?



## smirak (Jul 9, 2011)

So, here's the deal. I got a 50 ct humidor from CI a week or so ago. It's got a regular old analog hygrometer on it (I've got a couple hygro-set's on the way). I took the hygrometer out and did the salt test. After 12 hrs, it was reading 8% off and held stable for another 12 hours. So, my hygrometer is calibrated, but I can't adjust it. No biggie, I'll just remember 8% until my digital ones come in. So, with the hygrometer calibrated, I started to season my humidor. I did the herf-n-turf method (loosely) by just using a sponge with distilled h2o. I've had the sponge hanging out in my humidor for a couple days now, and it's reading 68% with no type of humidification in it (so, with my 8% variance, it's actually at 60%). I've got KL on the way and I'm hoping it will be here tomorrow, so I can adjust the RH in it. I've also got a drymistat and a couple more on the way. The 68% RH that it's reading right now has been steady for almost 24 hours now. Do you think the humidor has absorbed as much as it will and I can consider it seasoned and throw my sticks in there with the drymistat? I've currently got most of my sticks (~30) in a zipordor with my drymistat and I've got a ziploc bag of 11 sticks (Shuckins Bomb) hanging out with a water pillow. So, I'm not in a dire need to get them in the humidor, but if we all concur that it's seasoned, I'll just go ahead and throw them in there.

Thanks,
Kevin


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## jimbo1 (Aug 18, 2010)

I don't think it is seasoned yet, it should take a few days, follow Herf's directions and you know when it'll be ready, don't rush it, or you'll have issues down the road w/ r/h swings.


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## quo155 (Aug 10, 2010)

jimbo1 said:


> I don't think it is seasoned yet, it should take a few days, follow Herf's directions and you know when it'll be ready, don't rush it, or you'll have issues down the road w/ r/h swings.


I second...don't rush it, it will be well worth the wait!


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Definitely not. Your Shugars will be better off in the baggie for now. I'd even recommend taking out the water pillow Ron generally sends along.


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## smirak (Jul 9, 2011)

Herf N Turf said:


> Definitely not. Your Shugars will be better off in the baggie for now. I'd even recommend taking out the water pillow Ron generally sends along.


You think (about the water pillow)? Not disagreeing, but curious as to why.

Thanks,
Kevin


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## FWTX (Feb 9, 2011)

I hope you can hold out until the digtal hyg shows up - I don't trust the dial type that they send w/humis now days as far as i can spit - salt test or not.


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## ShortFuse (Jun 6, 2011)

Kevin,
Cant refute the wisdom bestowed here. I was following Herf and Turf to the "t" for 36 hours and couldn't get a rise on my wineador. Turns out in my wifes ambition to help me get it set up there is a drain ( about half way up on my model) that she didn't know about. So I pulled all the shelves out and am now back at step 1. Its all about learning for me. There are a ton of great guys that drop knowledge on us. A couple years from now, we'll have Opus' and immense knowledge and people will be like, "Dang, they're some smart fellers." Thats all we can do. Now we learn. Next we share. Then we grow. 

I hope the package I sent you gets there soon. 

TH


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## smirak (Jul 9, 2011)

ShortFuse said:


> Kevin,
> Cant refute the wisdom bestowed here. I was following Herf and Turf to the "t" for 36 hours and couldn't get a rise on my wineador. Turns out in my wifes ambition to help me get it set up there is a drain ( about half way up on my model) that she didn't know about. So I pulled all the shelves out and am now back at step 1. Its all about learning for me. There are a ton of great guys that drop knowledge on us. A couple years from now, we'll have Opus' and immense knowledge and people will be like, "Dang, they're some smart fellers." Thats all we can do. Now we learn. Next we share. Then we grow.
> 
> I hope the package I sent you gets there soon.
> ...


Thanks Thom. I've been diligently checking the mail. I think its funny that I can get mail from 6000 miles away quicker than I can get intra-theater mail from ~180 miles away. 

Oh, BTW, get off this board and spend time with your famiy!

Kevin


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

smirak said:


> You think (about the water pillow)? Not disagreeing, but curious as to why.
> 
> Thanks,
> Kevin


Why? You ask me, WHY?

Because you live in fekking Mississippi, for crying out loud! How humid is it in Mississippi, right now?

Think about it!

You could set all your cigars out on the curb and in 5mo, they'd be too moist to get one decent draw from.

You gotta factor in all the variables, my friend. The most important being, your ambient humidity. EVERYTHING you do is totally dependent on your environment. Wood, always wants to be a tree. Trees breathe; they exchange air and moisture. If you want a perfectly seasoned humidor, start thinking like a tree.

Tobacco is the same! It's a plant. It's always gonna try to get back to it's native moisture content. Problem is, it doesn't burn so great at 86%!! So, we gotta coax it down to around 65%, and keep it there for a very long time. We keep our humidors at 65%, because everything smokes well at that point. Some cigars DO smoke better at somewhat higher and lower levels, but nothing doesn't smoke great at 65.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Herf N Turf said:


> Because you live in fekking Mississippi, for crying out loud! How humid is it in Mississippi, right now?
> 
> You could set all your cigars out on the curb and in 5mo, they'd be too moist to get one decent draw from.
> 
> ...


I would say it is permeable and will reach equilibrium with the ambient air's humidity rather than saying it wants to be as high as a live tree. We simply want to keep it at an artificially controlled RH if we live in a place that is higher/lower than that desired level.

Either way it is a good point because this info is mandatory in order to determine how to setup the (de)humidification. Here in AZ, I only use KL to humidify. In humid place they will need it to do the opposite. Opening my storage lets out humidity, while others may let it in by doing that. Like Herf n Terf says, you don't need a water pillow if you need dehumidification, it is counter productive. If that is the case, you might need dry KL/beads to remove the humidity.


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## penguinshockey (Aug 31, 2010)

Herf N Turf said:


> Why? You ask me, WHY?
> 
> Because you live in fekking Mississippi, for crying out loud! How humid is it in Mississippi, right now?
> 
> ...


Speaking if high humidity - the cabinet humidor that I have been restoring was in my garage for 3 weeks exposed to this high Virginia humidity. When I brought it in last Friday it was reading 75%. After 5 days and repeated opening it is still at 71% without any humidification. I am trying to work it down to 65% so I can put all my "inventory" in it as soon as I finish staining and polying the outside.


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## primetime76 (Feb 8, 2011)

Donnie was once a tree...so he knows all about this!


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## CBR (Mar 31, 2010)

primetime76 said:


> Donnie was once a tree...so he knows all about this!


Classic! For some reason Lord of the Rings (The Two Towers) came to mind :bounce:


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## smirak (Jul 9, 2011)

Herf N Turf said:


> Why? You ask me, WHY?
> 
> Because you live in fekking Mississippi, for crying out loud! How humid is it in Mississippi, right now?
> 
> ...


The reason I asked is that I live in Iraq  I'm from MS, but currently in Iraq. The avg RH here on any given day hovers around 7%, so I thought about just keeping it in there. However, my package from ShortFuse arrived today, so now I've got KL to put in there. Waiting on my didgital hygros to arrive sometime this week or next, so I can season it appropriately!

Thanks for the advice Herf. I'm just letting my humidor hang out right now until I get my digital hygros in. Then, I'll go back and make sure it's seasoned the correct way. I d/l your instructions from Ed's (Waxing Moon) site...much more concise. All the same info in your post, but all the questions, back and forth talk, etc...were gone. Just the simple, plain, easy to follow instructions.

Thanks again,
Kevin


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